Maple Leafs Reportedly Shopped Mitch Marner to Multiple Teams at Trade Deadline
Photo credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images
The Toronto Maple Leafs reportedly tried to trade Mitch Marner to one of several teams at the trade deadline, knowing he wasn't going to stay.
As the team heads towards an era without Mitch Marner, the team was almost prepared for it after they tried to ship Marner off in a deal that would have brought Mikko Rantanen over to Toronto; he blocked the trade, and ended up bowing out in seven games in the Eastern Semis.
Mitch Marner Was Ready To Be Traded At Deadline
But it seems that Carolina wasn't necessarily the only team that was potentially a destination for Marner.
According to Frank Seravalli, who spoke on the FAN Morning Show Wednesday morning, the Leafs were prepared to shop Marner around to several other teams, and were trying to find a prospective buyer that works for both them and #16.
I don't play the what if game often, it's a fun exercise to think about but short of that, I tend to deal in reality.
The reality [Marner for Rantanen] was a possibility but I also think there were other teams they were going to trade Mitch Marner to.
They had other options to get their hands on Mikko Rantanen, but in the end there was just not the willingness to make it happen. - Frank Seravalli, The FAN Morning Show
The reality [Marner for Rantanen] was a possibility but I also think there were other teams they were going to trade Mitch Marner to.
They had other options to get their hands on Mikko Rantanen, but in the end there was just not the willingness to make it happen. - Frank Seravalli, The FAN Morning Show
While there was nothing directly mentioned, the feeling around the statement is that a trade would have been in place, but Marner wasn't willing to work with the team.
Call it confidence or sabotage, Marner stayed in Toronto and showed everyone exactly why he can't be trusted to play in critical playoff moments.
Mitch Marner's Ego Got In The Way
The fact Toronto was so eager to find a buyer for Marner all but assures the team is going to move on from him, and it is probably for the better.
While Marner is a great regular season player, committing so much to consistent failure and complaining isn't a wise investment.
He had 102 points this year, but also only had five points in the Florida series, and was pointless in Games 5 & 7; arguably the two most important games in that Semi-Final.
Marner wants more money than God it feels like, and with reports it could reach upwards of $15M per season; it's a brutal overpayment for a team hoping that it's just Toronto causing him to falter under pressure.
$3M annually than Rantanen, who has more points in his last four postseasons than Marner has in his career. Are teams willing to look themselves in the mirror and say "We believe in Mitch." when he's given no reason to previously?
His constant lack of transparency with the media, and throwing of his teammates under the bus could be considered a red flag.
But the fact that he was aware of his decision to leave, even though he was adamant he loved the city, and made sure Toronto was worse off in the end?
That's not malpractice. That's maliciousness.
| POLL | ||
MAI 29 | 419 ANSWERS Maple Leafs Reportedly Shopped Mitch Marner to Multiple Teams at Trade Deadline Who do you think tried to trade for Mitch Marner? | ||
| Carolina | 233 | 55.6 % |
| Florida | 58 | 13.8 % |
| Los Angeles | 74 | 17.7 % |
| Colorado | 54 | 12.9 % |
| List of polls | ||
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